Canon CHDK User manual

!
! !
CHDK
!Extra Features
!!!!!
®
®
!
For Canon
Powershot Cameras
!User Quick Start Guide

!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!
Canon Hack Development Kit
User Quick Start Guide
V.1.9.1 © December 2011
For Canon Cameras with CHDK
For installation instructions go to
http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/CHDK

2 Acknowledgements
3 CHDK Introduction
4 Using CHDK
7 OSD (On Screen Display)
8 Main Menu
8 Extra Photo Operations
15 Video Parameters
16 RAW Parameters
19 Edge overlay
20 Custom curves
21 Histogram Parameters
24 Zebra Parameters
26 OSD Parameters
35 Visual Settings
36 Scripting Parameters
38 Miscellaneous Stuff
47 History of CHDK
48 Stereo Data Maker
49 KAP
49 Bracketing notes
50 RAW notes
52 Bad pixel notes
53 Edge overlay notes
54 Curves notes
55 USB Remote notes
56 Grids notes
57 Scripting notes
59 Flash notes
59 Examples
63 FAQs and Facts
65 Miscellaneous info
67 Links
68 Legal Notes
69 INDEX
1
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Acknowledgements
CHDK has to be one of the most innovative improvements to any camera that has ever come along since
the beginning of photography. Started out by some people who only wanted RAW out of their raw-
crippled cameras, it has now grown into one of the most adaptable, flexible, and full-featured operating
systems of any cameras ever made. We are all extremely grateful for the work that everyone has put into
this arena of discovery, implementation, coding, sharing, camera testing, (especially with the unknown,
and possibly high risk), and those that provide all the information on the Wiki pages (and elsewhere in
the world). Those who have contributed to this great stride in the world of photography deserve a huge
vote of thanks.
Many thanks go to the original developers vitalyb,and GrAnd,ewavr,owenjm, Harvester, jeff666,
[mr.anon],MX3, Fingalo, Allbest,CHDKLover, BarneyFife,also to Jucifer and PhyrePhoX,and to
cosmograph for the excellent CHDK logo, and to all the others mentioned or not, in History of CHDK,
See:page 47
Other contributors include, acseven (the forum),achurch, acid2000, ADamb, ArtDen, atalwar, Atnas, auj,
awdark,, barberofcivil, Basq, Bg~, bondo, bperrybap, brabl2, brake, Brend R, bygbit, cail, chdkj, chr,
cormac, cppasm, cyril42e, danielmewes, Darkness, DataGhost, DavidB, diablo, Divalent, ehmu,
elecktro255, ERR99, fantomas4o, fboesch, fbonomi,fe50,fishpepper, f_m_b, fudgey, funnel, gajownik,
Grin, Hacki, HarpoMa, hiker_jon, h-v-n, iax, ihar, Intrnst, image13, jstanley0, Keoeeit, KevB m2tk,
ma_jk, MartinBudden, mattkime, Microfunguy,mipa87, mkmenuts, mproko, mrblack51, mrowl, MrSpoon,
msl, mweerden,nandoide, neszt, nimrod, nirschi, Novex, oldgit, outslider, pedropaislopes, peregrine,
pev69, philmoz, pixeldoc2000, PlasmaHH, quietschi, RaduP, revivery, reyalp,Rorschach, rudi,sharky,
shenty, Smartkiller, snc, snowsnapshots, srsa_4c, stift, stevetm2, syahmixp, taliesin,Thorwak, tillo,
toinech, tommi2water, TPC, tr1stan, tsvstar, ultimA, uvvv, Velo, viulian, vit40, waldo, waterwingz, whim,
whoever, wontolla, xiaofeng, Yarvieh, Yossar, zeno, zfeet, and for a significant discovery which has been
named ‘Canon Basic’ - Oren Isacson and Alfredo Ortega
and more to come……. Many thanks.
And to the firmware dumpers and language translators - Many thanks.
Thanks to Graystar for the Allbest 50 manual, and to the writers of the online Morebest manual *, and
everyone else who has contributed however small or large to CHDK and the Wiki pages.
*(these pages are based upon those and updated to reflect the latest changes to what has become the
combined collaborative CHDK)
Please report errors &/or omissions to the CHDK forum: –
http://chdk.setepontos.com/index.php/topic,1167.0.htmlß
Front cover photo – Canon Powershot SX230HS 1
Canon is a registered ® ™ Trademark of Canon Inc.
PowerShot is a registered ® ™Trademark of Canon Inc.
2

Introduction
! ! ®" " ®
Welcome to CHDK, for users of Canon Powershot Cameras
Q. What is the CHDK program?
A. CHDK enhances the capabilities of your camera in a non-destructive, non-permanent way.
!After loading of CHDK program your camera will have the following extra functionality:
!•!Shutter-priority (Tv) exposure - via shutter value override feature
!•!Aperture-priority (Av) exposure - via aperture value override feature
•Shooting in RAW, with RAW Average, RAW Sum, and RAW Develop features,
!save as .DNG (Digital Negative for wider compatibility)
!•!Live histogram (RGB, blended, luminance and for each RGB channel)
!•!Zebra mode (a live view of over and under-exposed areas of your picture)
•Depth-of-field (DOF)-calculator, Hyperfocal-calculator with instant Hyperfocal and
Infinity focus-set, and more
!•!Battery indicator
!•!RAW and Video space-remaining gauges with custom low-limit alerts
!•!USB cable and wireless remote shutter release
•Motion-detection trigger - automatically fires camera on motion detection. (Able to
capture lightning strikes.)
!•!Customizable high-speed continuous (burst) Shutter-based (Tv), aperture-based (Av) and
!!ISO-based exposure bracketing (unlimited shots)
!•!Focus bracketing (unlimited shots)
!•!Adjustable Video quality and size (compression) adjustable while recording
!•!Elimination of 1 GB video-size limit (for many DigicII cameras)
!•!Zoom during video function (for cameras without this feature)
!•!Shutter, Aperture, and ISO Overrides
!•!Ultra-long shutter speeds - up to 64 seconds (much longer for supported cameras)
!•!Ultra-fast shutter speeds - up to 1/10,000" and higher
!•!High-speed Flash Sync at all speeds up to 1/64,000 of a second
!•!Custom user-editable visible Grids for framing, cropping, and alignment
!•!File browser
!•!Text reader
!•!Calendar
!•!Games"
!•!Fully customizable CHDK display, info placement, user-colors, fonts in menus, etc.
!•!Custom CHDK User Menu (for instant recall of up to 10 favorite functions)
!•!Scripts execution - including exposure bracketing, focus bracketing, intervalometer, etc
!•!And other features too numerous to mention here.
The new features are accessed through CHDK-specific menus, rather than the default camera menus.
As CHDK is continually evolving, new features are added as they are developed. Updating occasionally
will ensure you have all the latest features for your camera.
Check out the Camera Features and Downloads pages for information on finding the right build for your
needs.
!!Go to:- http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/Downloads
3

Using CHDK
To Start – !Auto load method
!Cameras that have an SD card that has been prepared as bootable and is locked (write protected,
!with the slide tab on the side of the card), will load CHDK automatically when turned on. This
!is usually called the “Autoload” or “Autoboot” method, using a camera version specific file
!“DISKBOOT.BIN”
!The card lock is bypassed by CHDK and photos and video are able to be saved as normal.
!– !Manual load method
!When the SD card has a camera specific file, which for some versions is “PS.FIR”, and others
!“PS.FI2”, the card is left unlocked and then:
1. Switch the camera on in Play mode, not Record mode,
2. Press the MENU button, then press UP once (or scroll down the menu list)
3. An option to update the firmware appears, Select that option (press FUNC.SET)
4. Confirm the update, (OK-press FUNC.SET)
See:- http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/Bootable_SD_card
!for instructions to make memory card bootable, and information on the loading process.
The CHDK splash screen will appear for about 2 seconds, while the Print button blue led flashes,
confirming that CHDK has now loaded into the camera’s memory. (The splash screen can be disabled
in Main Menu > Miscellaneous stuff).
Splash screen logo!!
!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!
CHDK will now be running in the background. Some features are enabled by default, for example,
battery and file space indicators. However, most features are disabled by default.
•To make changes to how CHDK operates, you start by entering <ALT> mode.
4

<ALT> Mode
When <ALT> mode is enabled the function of certain buttons on the camera will change, allowing
you to start accessing CHDK features. For example, pressing the FUNC.SET button will display the
CHDK Script menu, rather than the usual function associated with FUNC.SET.
•There are different ways to enter <ALT> mode, depending on the style of camera.
A Series – Press the Direct Print button (A momentary short press)
G Series – Press the Shortcut / Print button *
S Series – Press the Shortcut / Print button *
SD / IXUS Series – Press the Direct Print button
SX 200 – Press the Direct Print button
!SX10!, 20, 30 –Press the Shortcut / Print button *
!Note: Check the Wiki for your camera's CHDK Specialties, for instance the MODE button for
!!<ALT> on certain models e.g. A480
!*See note on page 6 about Shortcut button.
Also, while in <ALT> mode the following buttons are reassigned:
A Series – Exposure/Erase - Toggles RAW capture mode
G Series – AF Frame Selector / Erase – Toggles RAW capture mode!! !
S Series – FUNC.SET – Toggles RAW capture mode
SD / IXUS Series – DISP. – Toggles RAW capture mode
!SX 200 –! ! ! ! ! “! ! ! “! ! “ !! “! ! “
SX10!, 20, 30 –AF Frame Selector / Erase – Toggles RAW capture mode!
•See notes on page 43 about <ALT> button.
Common to most cameras
•MENU – Displays the main CHDK menu
•FUNC.SET – Display the Script menu
•DISP. Button -- Return to previous menu
• Full Shutter press – Executes the selected Script, or pauses the running script
The following functions are available any time CHDK is loaded.
Common to most cameras
•Half Shutter + Left – Toggle Zebra on /off
•Half Shutter + Right – Toggle OSD on /off
•Half Shutter + Up – Toggle Histogram on/off (on recent versions Half shoot+down).
•Half Shutter + Down – Toggle Overrides (Half Shutter + Left on a few models ? )
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...(Contd. P6)
5

More keys and shortcuts:
In manual focus mode - (with <ALT>)
Up – Set MF to infinity
Down – to set MF distance to hyperfocal distance (based on f /stop and zoom focal-length).
Left – Decrease Value Factor,
Right – Increase Value Factor.
Zoom-in / Zoom-out – can be assigned to manual focus in Main Menu > Miscellaneous stuff.
On the IXUS / SD series the DISP. button is used to instantly set MF (manual focus) distance to
infinity.
See:- Extra Photo Operations Page 9.
In OSD layout editor –
Display (DISP. button) Change the number of pixels the OSD (on-screen display) elements are
moved by.
In File Browser –
Right – make selection
Left – Open context menu.
Zoom-in / Zoom-out – Scroll-By-page in File Browser and File Reader modes.
Half-shoot – Scroll one page forward in File Reader mode.
Menu numerical units –
Zoom-in / Zoom-out – To enter numerical values in menus the zoom lever/switch is used to change
the unit value, ie: 1, 10, 100. The unit value is indicated in the top LH corner of the OSD. When doing
this, first select the menu item to be changed, then change the unit value with the zoom lever /switch,
then change the selected menu item.
SX10, SX20 (And certain other models with separate playback and record buttons ) - To turn the
camera on directly into record mode, hold the On /Off button for approx. one second. When switched
on, pressing the shutter button full or half will switch to record mode from playback mode.
* Cameras with a Shortcut button can be configured in Miscellaneous stuff to use either, –
Shortcut, Flash, Timer, ISO, or Video buttons to enter <ALT> mode,the Shortcut button is the default,
press the button with a short momentary press, and for the original Canon function, press and hold
slightly longer. - See:<ALT> mode button on Page 43.
When you enter <ALT> mode, the indicator “ <ALT> “ will appear at the bottom middle of the OSD.
In <ALT> mode you can now use CHDK Scripts, and also enter the CHDK Main Menu. When you
have finished customizing how CHDK operates, and / or using scripts, press the <ALT> mode button to
exit <ALT> mode. You can now use the camera to take photos or video, and it’s operation will be
changed by the options you set in CHDK.
6

On-Screen Display (OSD) Map
9
310
215
4b
7
4a
11
6
8
1
<ALT> Mode indicator
6
Live Histogram
2
Mini Console - Current Script info.
7
RAW shots remaining Indicator
3
Battery Indicators
8
Miscellaneous Values
4a
File-Space Indicators - icon/text
9
Extra Photo Operations - Overrides
4b
File-Space Indicator - vertical bar
10
Temperature Indicator
5
Clock
11
Fast EV Switch Indicator
See: OSD Parameters on Page 26 for display settings.
7

Main Menu!
The Main Menu is the top-level menu from which all
CHDK functions are enabled and customized.
To access the Main Menu, set the camera to <ALT> mode
and press the MENU button.
!Like Canon’s menus, pressing
!the FUNC.SET button will
!select the highlighted menu
!option. Pressing the DISP.
!button will move back one
!menu level. Pressing the MENU
!button will exit the current
!operation.
!!!!!!!!
Extra Photo Operations < Main Menu
Disable Overrides
Allows the use of a half-press + DOWN button press to quickly
toggle any override settings on and off. The status of the
overrides will appear where the normal override settings are
displayed in the OSD - in your chosen warning color -
! ! ! ! (See: "Visual Settings" Page 35) !! !
•Off - Turns off the "Disable Overrides" shortcut option.
•On - Starts out with any override settings DISABLED. In the OSD you will see -
! ! "NO OVERRIDES"
•Disable - Starts out with any override settings enabled.
The "On"and "Disabled" options allow you to use this feature in your User Menu (P27)
as the quick override toggle instead of using any shortcut key. Some cameras may not have
the shortcut feature available.
•Include AutoISO & Bracketing! ! Enable [•] / Disable [ ]
Includes Auto ISO and Bracketing settings in the "Disable Override"settings. If not enabled then
the Auto ISO and Bracketing settings will not be turned on or off by the "Disable Override"
shortcut button.
In <ALT> mode press the camera MENU button,
use the !Directional & FUNC.SET buttons
to navigate the menus.
8

Override shutter speed [0 – 100] <Extra Photo Operations < Main Menu
TV in the OVERRIDES display in the OSD. This feature allows you to override the camera’s
shutter speed in all auto and manual modes with the speed you select. This feature allows shutter
speeds as long as 64 seconds, (or longer if your camera has CHDK Extra Long Exposure
support) and as short as 1/100,000th of a second, in 1/3rd EV steps. This setting is affected by
the “Value factor” and the “Shutter speed enum type” settings below. Please note that the actual
speeds available are dependent on the camera used and other conditions such as the aperture
setting.
•Value factor [Off, 1/100k – 100] or [Off , 1,10,100]
!Enables the Override shutter speed and sets the Value factor, the use of which is described
!below.
•Shutterspeed enum type [Ev Step , Factor]
!Select the method of determining the override shutter speed.
Ev Step – The method most of us will use. Enables the first set of options above.
!The Override shutter speed is shown in seconds. Select the desired shutter speed and
!set the Value factor to 1 to enable the override function.
Factor – This method will enable the second set of options above.
!The shutter speed is determined by multiplying the selected value factor with the
!selected shutter speed. This method is useful in analytical and research photography.
ND filter state [ Off / In / Out] (For cameras with an ND Filter)
When the camera detects a really bright scene, it will swing the ND filter inline with the lens and
sensor. This makes the scene look darker and will affect the exposure (but not depth of field like
a real aperture / iris would). With the ND filter in, the camera can select a slower shutter speed
without over-exposing the entire scene. Also, with the ND filter swung in, the camera will
capture an image with an aperture of f/8 - This is an artificial aperture value caused by the ND
filter swung in. With CHDK, you can choose to keep the ND filter out, and just select a faster
shutter speed to compensate. To do this, Select one of the options from -
!▪'Off' means the camera will automatically control the ND filter state.
!▪'In' means the ND filter is swung in.
!▪'Out' means the ND filter is kept out.
Override Aperture [Off , 2.77 – 16.00] <Extra Photo Operations < Main Menu
For cameras with an actual aperture/iris. mechanism (IXUS / SD models have ND filter).
AV in the OSD. This feature allows you to override the camera’s aperture settings. Simply
select the desired aperture setting and the camera will use that setting in all auto and manual
modes. Please note that the actual aperture values available depend on the camera.
Override Subj. Dist. Valu [0 – 65535]
SD in the OVERRIDES display in the OSD. This feature allows you to specify, to the millimeter,
the manual focus distance. To focus the camera at the override distance you must half-press the
shutter.
9

•Value factor (mm) [Off, 1, 10, 100, 1000]
FACTOR in the OVERRIDES display in the OSD. The Value factor is used to enable the
“Override Subj. Dist Valu” (OSDV), and also to quickly set the focus distance. When updating
the “Override Subj. Dist. Valu” with the left/right buttons, the value will be changed by the
amount set in the “Value factor.” So “1” changes the OSDV by 1 mm, “10” changes by 10 mm,
and so forth. In this way the OSDV can be updated faster than trying to change the override from
1 to 450 mm by pressing the rocker 449 times.
For cameras without Manual Focus, (IXUS /SD series, and some A series) SD Overrides can be
used to manage focusing, either by entering values in this menu, or by using shortcut keys.
Enter a choice of unit value, either 1, 10, 100, or 1000, this will change the Subj. Dist. Value by
the unit value you entered, ie: if the Value factor is 10, and the Subj. Dist. is 10 then the focus
will be 10 x 10 = 100 mm from the lens.
These Manual Focus adjustments can also be achieved with shortcut keys. In <ALT> mode,
using the Left/Right keys to adjust the Value Factor and the Zoom lever to adjust the Subject
Distance, (or on cameras without a zoom lever use the Display (DISP.) button) Infinity is
immediately selected by pressing the Up key, and for Hyperfocal adjustment based on current F-
stop and zoom focal length, press the Down key. The subject distance values are displayed as
part of OVERRIDES on the OSD. Remember to exit <ALT> mode to shoot pictures with these
adjustments applied. Also remember to uncheck "clear overrides @ start" setting if you want to
continue with the current settings.
Override ISO value [0 – {ISO max for camera}]
ISO:.. in the OVERRIDES display in the OSD. This feature allows you to override the camera’s
ISO setting. Select the desired ISO setting and the camera will use that setting in all auto and
manual modes.
•Value factor [Off, 1, 10, 100]
The factor is used to enable the ISO override, and to set a multiplier against the “Override ISO
value” set above. So if you want to use an ISO of 1200, you would set the “Override ISO value”
to 12, and the “Value factor” to 100. This arrangement exists to speed the setting of a custom
ISO.
Note: Although CHDK may show a higher or lower setting, minimum and maximum ISO
overrides will mainly be determined by the camera hardware limits, CHDK enables “fine
tuning” of ISO settings, See: Custom Auto ISO on pages 12, 13.
!See:- Exif Makers notes at Miscellaneous Info.
!Also:-
!OSD Parameters on Pages 26, 27, and 28 for “Show State Displays” of overrides in the OSD.
10

Bracketing in continuous mode < Extra Photo Operations < Main Menu
Bracketing is the practice of making several exposures of a scene,
with each exposure differing from the next by predetermined steps
in exposure or focus settings. Bracketing is used to easily capture
a range of exposures so that the best exposure can be selected at a
later time. Bracketing is also used to create a series of exposures
which will be combined using methods such as HDR processing.
The bracketing features are enabled when the camera drive mode
is set to continuous, and custom timer with some models.
!
! ! Usage Tip: If you wish to fire off individual frames and still have
!!bracketing for each one, after the first shot lightly let-up on the
!!shutter button to a half- press position. The next full-press will
!!give you another bracketed shot. This process can be repeated
!!for as many bracketing steps as you need. Giving you finer
!!control over the number of bracketed exposures you may require.
Set camera Custom Timer in Canon Menu
See: Bracketing notes: Page 49.
•TV bracketing value [Off, 1/3 – 4 Ev]
Set this value to bracket via exposure time. A value of 1 will
double or halve the exposure time for the following exposures.
!
•AV bracketing value [Off, 1/3 – 4 Ev]
Set this value to bracket via aperture. A value of 1 will open or
close the aperture by 1 stop for the following exposures.
•Subj. Dist. Bracket Value [0 – 100]
Set this value to enable focus bracketing. This feature is only
enabled during manual focus mode on some versions. It allows you to specify the manual focus
distance in millimeters. This value is multiplied by the Value factor below to arrive at the final
value.
11

•Value factor (mm) [Off, 1, 10, 100, 1000]
Used as a multiplier for Distance bracketing value.
•ISO bracketing value [0 – 100]
Set this value to bracket via ISO. This value is multiplied by the Value factor below to arrive at
the final ISO value that will be used for bracketing. A value of 2, with a Value factor of 10, will
increase or decrease the ISO by 20 for following exposures.
•Value factor [Off, 1, 10, 100]
Used as a multiplier for the ISO bracketing value.
•Bracketing type [+/-, –, +]
With all bracketing types the first exposure uses the current exposure settings of the camera. On
following exposures the exposure settings are adjusted as described below.
+ / –
This bracketing type will alternatively apply the bracketing value by first subtracting then
adding. The sequence goes like this…
0 Ev, -1Ev, +1Ev, -2Ev, +2Ev, -3Ev, +3Ev, etc. Bracketing will continue until you release the
shutter. So for example lets say you set the TV bracketing to “2 Ev”, and when you half-press
the shutter you notice an exposure time of 1 second. When you fully depress the shutter you will
get exposures at these times: 1 sec, ¼sec, 4 sec, 1/15 sec, 15 sec, 1/60 sec, 15 sec, 1/250 sec,
15 sec, etc.
–
This bracketing type works as above but will only reduce the exposure value. Using the above
example, the exposure times would be 1 sec, ¼sec, 1/15 sec, 1/60 sec, 1/250 sec, etc.
+
This bracketing type works as above but will only increase the exposure value. Using the above
example, the exposure times would be 1 sec, 4 sec, 15 sec. Once the camera’s limit is reached,
subsequent exposures will occur at the maximum (or minimum) setting.
•Clear Bracket Values on Start ! ! Enable [•] / Disable [ ]
Enable this option to turn off bracketing when the camera is turned off.
•Add raw-suffix Enable [•] / Disable [ ]
In bracketing mode you now have the option to add a suffix to the raw filename, so that later you
can easily identify the RAWs that were created during bracketing, it is disabled at default.
Custom Auto ISO < Extra Photo Operations < Main Menu
!
This feature has 2 purposes: Allow the user to define the exact ranges of ISO used in
Auto ISO and Auto-HI. As an example: Expand the Auto ISO range from 80-200 to 50-400.
Give additional information to the camera to allow it to select the optimal shutter speed (to avoid
blur or get the right artistic exposure) and ISO instead of some sub-optimal default...
As an example - Use a faster shutter and higher ISO when shooting sports, but go for a slower
12

shutter and minimal ISO when shooting still landscapes) Method - The camera will try to
maintain lowest ISO as long as shutter speed is no-slower than user defined (more below).
Custom Auto ISO will kick-in whenever ISO HI/Auto ISO is chosen. This allows a quick
manual override by choosing a specific ISO value.
!Example: Camera set ISO 100 at 1/8s. Auto ISO configured to ISO50-400 at
!1/15s: Auto ISO will shift to ISO200 to maintain 1/15s shutter speed.
!This feature is available in all modes except for Shutter priority (Tv). It is also
!disabled in stitch assist to prevent using different settings for each panorama part.
!
•Enable Custom Auto ISO Enable [•] / Disable [ ]
!This is the master switch for this feature.!
•Minimal Shutter Speed [Auto 1/8 -etc]
!Here you have basically two options:
!1) Auto - This is for use when photographing still-life,
!landscapes, etc. It will use the factors below to prevent
!camera shake, but will assume the subject holds still.
2) Numerical setting - hint to the camera what the optimal
!shutter speed is for the subject you are photographing.
!The camera will try to use this value or a faster one as much as possible (to prevent blur),
!e.g:
!1/8s - 1/30s - Slow moving subjects.
!1/60s - 1/125s - Kids, Pets, general movement
!1/250s - 1/1000s - Sports, Fast action
•User Factor (1/FL/factor)
This setting accounts for the user’s ability to hold the camera steady. It is based on the old
rule that the shutter speed should be no less than 1/focal-length. Start by dividing the
effective focal length of the lens by the actual focal length. The answer is generally
somewhere around 6. Then increase or reduce this amount by a self-assessed value of your
steadiness. If you think your hands are steadier than average then decrease by 20%. If you
think you’re shaky then increase by 20%.
•IS Factor (Tv*factor)
In determining the ISO setting, the effectiveness of the IS system will be taken into account.
Use a setting of 4 if the IS is effective enough to give you a two-stop reduction in shutter
speed. Use a setting of 2 if the IS isn’t very effective, or 8 if the IS is very effective.
•Max ISO HI (x10)
Sets the maximum “HI” ISO that the camera can select.
•Max ISO Auto (x10)
Sets the maximum “Auto” ISO that the camera can select.
•Min ISO (x10)
Sets the minimum “Auto” ISO that the camera can select.
!Clear override values@start Enable [•] / Disable [ ]
Extra Photo Operations overrides will be cleared for the next time the camera is started.
13

Enable Fast EV Switch? Enable [•] / Disable [ ]
Warning: This feature is not properly workable on all cameras yet.
See:http://chdk.setepontos.com/index.php/topic,2595.msg24211.html#msg24211
!and:http://chdk.setepontos.com/index.php/topic,2501.msg23321.html#msg23321
Turns the UP and DOWN buttons into quick EV compensation buttons. You no longer have to
press the FUNC.SET or MENU buttons to adjust your EV settings while shooting. By pressing
!!!!!!!!!! ❶
the UP or DOWN buttons the EV is increased or decreased. There is also a screen display
showing your chosen EV-compensation settings by whatever step-size you have chosen (see
!!!!!!!!!! ❷
Step Size (1EV)?) below). It is advisable to move the OSD EV override display over the
camera's own to prevent confusion.
You will see a real-time change in the EVF/LCD as you change your EV values with this short-
cut. It also works while the Zebra Mode is engaged. You can fine-tune the Zebra alert just by
pressing the UP and DOWN buttons with half shoot.
When used in conjunction with the Curves "Auto DR" Mode you should never miss another
blown highlight or dropped shadow again.
One drawback: If using the up and down buttons during a half-press to see Zebra alerts while
changing the EV setting, it will toggle your "Disable Overrides" on and off if you have that
feature engaged as well. A small price to pay for the ability to have these amazing features. One
work-around, set the EV step-size to 1/2 what you normally would use, then the
"Disable Overrides" shortcut will always toggle back to the original ON (or OFF) on every 2nd
EV +/- press, effectively resetting it where you wanted it in the first place.
Note also: This change is not saved between camera power-downs. If you would always like to
start out with a small negative preset EV value to avoid blown highlights, then use Canon's own
EV compensation setting for your startup EV value. This Fast EV Switch will reflect that value
on startup.
❶: Enabled when Fast EV Switch is enabled.
❷: Use OSD parameters > OSD layout editor to move display.
•Step Size (1EV)? [1/6 Ev, 1/3 Ev, 1/2 Ev, 2/3 Ev, 5/6 Ev, 1Ev, and on - ]
When using the Fast EV shortcut feature you can adjust how much you want to change the
EV compensation with each UP or DOWN keypress. Step size is increments. A major
improvement over the adjustment levels and steps in the original firmware.
Force manual flash Enable [•] / Disable [ ] < Extra Photo Operations < Main Menu
For optional control over camera flash output, use with Power of flash [ 0, 1, 2 ] to give 3
separate steps up in flash output power.
•Power of flash [ 0, 1, 2 ]
Used with Force manual flash to adjust flash output.
0 = Low, 1 = Medium, 2 = Very High
! ! More at:- Flash notes, and Force flash pics. on page 59
Quality override![ Superfine, Fine, Normal, off ] < Extra Photo Operations < Main Menu
!!!!!
For recent camera versions without Canon Superfine setting (SX200, SX20, etc)
Canon setting is used when “off” is selected, settings are saved in CCHDK.CFG
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Video Parameters < Main Menu
Video Mode [ Bitrate or Quality ]
Video compression modes.
!Bitrate – dictates a constant data rate.
Video compression (and hence, video quality) expands or
contracts as necessary to maintain the data rate constant.
!Quality – Sets a constant compression level, ensuring a defined level of quality regardless of
how much data that level requires.
Note: From owners reports of testing Quality overrides, it is evident that settings above the
standard Canon setting gain little if any higher quality, however file sizes will increase
significantly. Lower settings (minor), will lose little in quality but will reduce file size.
Excess Bitrate and Quality settings can cause memory buffer overload, and stop
recording, a red ! will show on the OSD.
Video Bitrate [ 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1, 1.25, 1.5, 1.75, 2, 2.5, 3 ]
The compression factor for Bitrate compression. 0.25 is the most compressed / least quality and
3 is the least compressed / best quality.
Video Quality [ 1 - 99 ] < Video Parameters < Main Menu
The compression factor for Quality compression. 1 is the most compressed/least quality and 99
is the least compressed / best quality. (Roughly ~70 - 80 is Canon equivalent).
Clear Video Params on Start? Enable [•] / Disable [ ]
When enabled this will clear all your custom video compression settings back to the camera's
own defaults on startup.
Fast Video Control Enable [•] / Disable [ ] < Video Parameters
Only a few cameras are supported. Pause and unpause video by pressing LEFT
/
RIGHT while
recording. Note: When using this function the remaining video-record time calculation is reset,
so the change is shown immediately in the OSD.
Video Quality Control ? !Enable [•] / Disable [ ]
When enabled, using the UP/DOWN button will increase or decrease video quality or
bit-rate (depends on which one is enabled in the Video Mode override) - While you are
recording.
Enable Optical Zoom Enable [•] / Disable [ ] < Video Parameters
This feature allows you to use the camera’s optical zoom during video recordings.
Mute During Zooming Enable [•] / Disable [ ]
To eliminate focus mechanism noise. Please note that the zoom mechanism sound is very loud in
video, which is probably why it was disabled by the manufacturer.
AF key < Video Parameters < Main Menu
(Shutter button - half press, or FUNC.SET button) During video recording - camera makes a
single autofocus scan.
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Show Remaining Videotime [ Don’t, hh:mm:ss, KB /s, both ] < Video Parameters
Displays a position-able OSD element to show the video bit-rate, and the remaining video
recording-time, on the SD card,…
•Don't - No display of remaining recording time and/or video data-rate.
•hh:mm:ss - Display a clock of remaining video-recording time left.
•KB/s - Display video recording bandwidth (data-rate) in Kilobytes per Second.
•Both - Display remaining video-recording time in both hours/mins/secs, and video
!data-rate in Kilobytes per Second.
•Refresh Rate (~sec) < Video Parameters < Main Menu
Due to the nature of video's variable bit-rate and compression methods, subject dependent,
the "Show Remaining Videotime" has to be updated regularly by re-polling the card-space
and the bit-rate to calculate a fairly accurate time-remaining estimate. Choose, in seconds,
how often that you want this Video-Recording time-remaining to be updated. Shorter periods
of time are less accurate from each on-screen update to the next.
!!!!!!
RAW Parameters < Main Menu
Save Raw Enable [•] / Disable [ ]
Enables the saving of RAW files. Enabling RAW does not
disable JPEG, both are saved. Also required for saving DNG.
(See Page 5 for RAW toggle shortcut button)
!Note: By not allowing a camera to auto-focus, ie: pressing the
!shutter all the way too fast, the camera might not save a
!RAW image.
Exceptions < Raw parameters < Main Menu
!!!
•Disable @ Video Record? Enable [•] / Disable [ ]
Some cameras, the S-Series in particular, have a dedicated "Video Record" button where you
can engage that and also shoot individual still-frames during video recording. It was found
that RAW file-saving can interfere in this process. Turning this option on will ensure that you
don't miss a shot or video.
•Disable RAW @ Sports Enable [•] / Disable [ ]
Disable RAW saving when the Mode-Dial is turned to Sports Mode. This ensures that fast
action sequences won't be missed due to RAW file-saving time, when forgetting to disengage
the RAW feature.
•Disable RAW @ Burst Enable [•] / Disable [ ]
Disable RAW file-saving when using burst mode. Again, a handy override for when RAW is
not needed during fast burst-sequence shots (RAW enabled would certainly increase time
between shots)
•Disable RAW @ Timer Enable [•] / Disable [ ]
Disable RAW file-saving when using the camera's Custom Timer mode (similar to the safety
feature for the burst mode).
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•Disable RAW @ EV Bracketing Enable [•] / Disable [ ]
Disable RAW file-saving when you are using any of the high-speed bracketing features.
•Disable RAW @ Edgeoverlay Enable [•] / Disable [ ]
Disable RAW saving while using Edge overlay.
•Disable RAW @ Auto Enable [•] / Disable [ ]
Disable RAW saving while using Auto shoot mode.!
•Warn when Exception? Enable [•] / Disable [ ]
Displays a "RAW Disabled" OSD warning in a selectable color when any of the RAW File-
Saving Exceptions are enabled and RAW file-saving is turned on.
Dark Frame Subtraction < Raw parameters < Main Menu
Controls the application of the Dark Frame Subtraction feature of the Camera to a RAW shot.
Dark Frame Subtraction is a function used to reduce the effects of sensor noise when the
exposure time is 1.3 seconds or longer.
•Auto – Performs a DFS on exposures 1.3 seconds or longer.
•Off – Never performs a DFS.
•On – Always performs a DFS.
By always performing a dark-frame subtraction the noise caused by the hot-pixels will be
removed from any image. There will be an increase in processing time.
Only First RAW in Series Enable [•] / Disable [ ]
When shooting in continuous mode, this will only create a RAW
capture for the first image. Subsequent images will not have
RAW captures. This allows rapid continuous shooting.
RAW File in Dir with JPEG!Enable [•] / Disable [ ]
Saves RAW files in the same folder as the JPEG files. If disabled
then RAW files are always saved in the 100CANON folder.
RAW File Prefix [CRW_, SND_, IMG_] < Raw parameters < Main Menu
CHDK lets you name RAW files with any combination of the standard prefixes IMG_, CRW_,
SND. If you are going to process the RAW files with DNG4PS-2 then setting a prefix of IMG_
will allow DNG4PS-2 to retrieve EXIF data from the accompanying JPEG.
RAW File Extension [.CRW, .CR2, .THM, .WAV, .JPG]
Set the extension to be used on RAW files, so the files are visible when you connect the camera
via USB. (See: Downloading via USB, on page 46.)
RAW subtract extension [.CRW, .CR2, .THM, .WAV, .JPG]
Using more than one extension with the same prefix can cause a problem with USB listing.
See:-
http://chdk.setepontos.com/index.php/topic,2045.msg18862.html#msg18862 Thanks reyalp.
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RAW develop < Raw parameters < Main Menu
This feature is for RAW files created with CHDK, not the Canon native RAW of some cameras.
Use this feature to process a RAW file and create a JPEG from it. When selected, a file browser
window is displayed. Select a RAW file and press FUNC.SET, press FUNC.SET again to clear
the message, then press the <ALT> button to exit <ALT> mode. Finally, press the shutter. The
RAW file will then be processed into a JPEG. The interesting aspect of this feature is that the
processing will occur with the camera’s current settings. So you can use the MyColors settings
to create Vivid and Sepia versions of the same image, or simply tweak the sharpness or contrast
settings. Normally, you would have to set MyColors before the image is taken, and you would
get only one image, it's a bit like using the RAW image as one would have used a film negative
to process photos in a darkroom, making multiple changed photos with the one "negative".
Bad pixel removal [ Off, Average, RAWconv ] < Raw parameters < Main Menu
To remove defective pixels effects in an image. Once you have generated a list with all the "bad"
!pixels for your camera, CHDK can remove them automatically.
!See explanation at:- Bad pixel Notes on pages 52, 53, (including "Create badpixel.bin")
!!
DNG format Enable [•] / Disable [ ]
Automatic conversion of RAW image to the DNG format, in the camera. This format can be read
by many image editing programs. Also includes meta data like EXIF and white-balance / color
matrix information. For this feature to be activated, the CHDK file badpixel.bin is required, it
can be generated either on a Windows PC (See: Pages 52, 53 for important information), or
directly in the camera from the RAW menu.
This file contains specific information on camera-pixel errors. The DNG files created have the
same file extension as described in RAW, and can be reset manually to DNG. There is also an
automatic function to rename for most cameras. DNG format is now the preferred method of
CHDK RAW capture.
‘DNG’ file extension Enable [•] / Disable [ ]
To distinguish DNG from RAW files. The DNG RAW image files will be stored as
<filename>.DNG with this option enabled, otherwise the extension from the "RAW file
extension" menu entry is used.
!See: Downloading via USB, on page 46.
RAW buffer cached Enable [•] / Disable [ ]
When enabled, saves the DNG file using the RAW buffer (recommended).
!More about RAW
The easy way to transfer RAW files to your computer is to use a memory card reader. The
most versatile way to work with RAW is to use the DNG format (Digital NeGative). This
format can be produced in camera. The resulting DNG files can then be processed with
Photoshop or many other popular photo processing applications.
!
See also:- Raw notes on page 50
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